Tiny homes aren’t new — check out the compact houses sold in SLO County after World War II
The lack of affordable entry level housing has been the focus of stories both locally and nationally.
Spend time talking to people in the homeless community and there are complex reasons people find themselves out of housing.
California experienced a housing crisis before, for example just after World War II.
Military training and manufacturing had drawn a large population to the coast creating high demand followed by a baby boom. With war over, resources were becoming available to build.
Building was less regulated, and asbestos and lead were common building ingredients, so it wasn’t all sunshine and unicorns.
But there was also a more modest attitude toward entry level home design.
Prospective home owners had survived deprivation during the Great Depression and world wars, and it was common for a small home to have only one bath and be under 1,400 square feet.
The modern equivalent today is the development of so-called “tiny homes.”
For example, in 2022, tiny homes in an Atascadero development were being sold. Grand Oaks Paseo was advertised as a modern update to the older cottage home.
Having a mix of housing options is vital to a a healthy community.
In the 1940s, the single-floor ranch style home was new and interesting and The Telegram-Tribune had a building section that carried building-related advertising and wire service articles on trends.
They often ran practical stories about small-sized home plans, because the area was not wealthy and very little of the coverage focused on high-end luxury.
Today real estate articles often trend to homes of the rich and famous where the garages are larger than the average person’s home.
Here is a wire service article from Dec. 30, 1949, by Dean H. Robinson. Note the article takes for granted that a single income can pay for the house and that there will be children in the second bedroom.
Ranch-style small home
This is an unusually compact one story ranch type home which, with the attached garage, looks more pretentious than it really is.
The scale model shows this home constructed of white beveled horizontal wood siding complimented by a reddish brown roof and shutters of the same color. However, the exterior would look equally well if built of brick or cement or cinder block.
You enter from a covered front porch into a reception hall which leads to the kitchen, bedrooms and living room. You will note how few steps are necessary to go from the kitchen or utility room to the front door, thereby saving the busy housewife many unnecessary steps.
Living room and dining room are combined and are actually 27 feet, 4 inches long by 11 feet, 4 inches wide. This is an exceptionally large open planned area for this small house. There is a large picture window along two-thirds of one wall of this area and a door leading on to a very pleasant living porch or terrace. The two bedrooms are large and have ample closet space, and the bath is convenient to both.
Linen storage is in the bathroom proper, and closet in the hallway could be used for bulk storage of many kinds.
There is a roof over the service entrance and the front of the garage, providing sheltered passageway from these two areas.
The kitchen is unusually well and compactly designed with an exceptional amount of working space and shelf area. There is room enough for a counter area where the children can eat their lunches, or where the family can gather for quick snacks.
The utility room is compact and there is plenty of room for tubs and other laundry equipment. The heater is in one corner of this room and uses the same chimney as the fireplace in the living room.
This home has no basement and radiant heating is recommended.
Another convenient feature that has been added to the house is storage space for garden tools at the back of the house. This same area could be used for the storage of outdoor furniture which would be used on the living porch during the summer months.
This is small house design No. 7, prepared by the Scale Model Home Planning Co., 505 LaFayette Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich.
